Bowling pin respotter



Jan. 22, 1952 n. D. JACOBUS BOWLING PIN RESPOTTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 17, 1946 INVENTOR DAVID D. JACOBUS B M ATTORNEY QON w Q NMN Jan.22, 1952 D. D. JACOBUS BOWLING PIN RESPOTTER 4 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec.l7, 1946 I bb mun QR NR N QE INVENTOR DAVID D. .JACOBUS ATTORNEY Jan.22, 1952 JACOBUS 2,583,052

BOWLING PIN RESPOTTER Filed Dec. 17, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I -.-mman-- 3FIG. 4 g; La 14a INVENTOR DAVID D. JACOBUS FMV ATTORNEY 1952 D. aJACOBUS BOWLING PIN RESPOTTER Filed Dec. 17, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f WWMN \m Qw INVENTOR DAVID o. JACOBUS' BY m 7% ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22,1952 BOWLING PIN RESPOTTER David D. Jacobus, Hoboken, N. J., assignor toAmerican Machine and Foundry Company, a

corporation of New Jersey Application December 17, 1946, Serial No.716,850

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic pin respottingapparatus for bowling alleys and, more particularly, to improvements inapparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing spot andoff-spot pins in the same position on an alley from which they werelifted by a sequence of operations consisting of first, au-

tomatically centering themselves over spot and ofi-spot pins, then,gripping and lifting the standing pins above the alley so that thefallen pins may be swept from the alley; and lastly, replacing thelifted pins on the alley in the same position they occupied before beinglifted from the alley.

Another object of my invention is to increase the range of individualbowling pin respotters to the extent that the entire width-of a bowlingalley is covered by the respotters, and to provide a respotting devicewhich is not dependent upon the use of either suction or electro-magnetsfor gripping bowling pins.

Another object is to provide a plurality of pin engaging members which,by a camming action, will guide pin gripping members into grippingposition with a standing spot, misaligned or off-spot bowling pin.

Another object is to provide inverted troughlike pin gripping membersadapted for free rectilinear movement which will engage with a standingbowling pin and guide each pin gripping mechanism into gripping positionover the respective bowling pins with which they engage.

It is also an object of my invention to provide each trough-shapeddevice with fingers which can interfinger with the fingers of anadjoining trough upon engagement with standing pins that have been movedoff their original spotted position to increase the range of the bowlingpin grippers and thereby diminish the inoperative areas betweenadjoining bowling pin grippers.

Another object is to provide pin engaging grippers which will becentered automatically after each pin gripping cycle to provide amaximum coverage of the bowling alley in each pin lifting and replacingcycle.

Another object. is to provide a gripper which will have a scissor-likeaction to grip a bowling pm.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as thedescription of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustratethe invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings which form a partof this specification, like characters of reference have been applied tocor responding parts throughout the several views which make up thedrawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the respotter table with parts broken away toillustrate its construction;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,showing said table in pin engaging position;

Fig. 3 is a partial detailed plan view of one of the pin grippingtroughs;

Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation of one of the gripping mechanisms;and

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional front elevation of the respotting table,taken on line 5-5 of Fig.

The pin respotting invention consists of a vertically reciprocatingrespotter table '1, having .a lower platform or frame and an upperplatform or frame 22 (Fig. 2) which are fixedly spaced from each otherby means of spacers 24.

25 The respotting table T is moved toward and away from the bed of abowling alley by means of protruding studs 23, projecting from eitherside of platform 22, which are connected at their protruding end to a.guide shoe 25. Suitable cables 21 are connected to the guide shoes 25which travel in vertical guide channels 29 when the cables 21 lower andraise the table T in proper time relation with the operation of thebowling pin setting machine.

It is understood that the device I have shown for moving the tableplatform toward and away from a bowling alley is for purposes ofillustration only and that other suitable devices could also be employedfor this purpose. If desired, reference may be made to U. S. Patent No.2,208,605, issued to G. J. Schmidt on July 23, 1940, and U. S. PatentNo. 2,388,709, issued to R. E. Rundell on November 13, 1945, whichdisclose mechanism of the general type to which I refer for performingthis function.

A number of parallel running tracks 26, employed for the purpose ofsupporting and guiding the trough-shaped pin grippers G, are secured tothe upper side of the lower frame or platform 20 by means of screws 28.Traveling on each pair of tracks 25 are pairs of rollers 30 which, bymeans of studs 34, are connected to and support hangers 32 which projectbelow the lower platform or frame 20 through suitable openings 33. Thelower end of each hanger 32 has a hole in which'one end of a shaft 36 ismounted. A lock nut 38 is threaded on the ends of each shaft 36 to holdthe shafts 36 in position in their respective hanger supports 32. Theshafts 36 form the pivot of piano hinges 40 which extend over the entirelength of each shaft 36.

Fixedly secured to the flanges M of each piano hinge 40 are plates 42which form an inverted trough-like assembly. When the plates 42 arebrought together they engage and grip bowling pins over which thetrough-like assembly has been located. The plates 42 are constructedpreferably of light metal, such as aluminum or magnesium sheet metal,and have secured at their free horizontal edges a plurality of pinengaging fingers 44 which extend the effective operating range of thepin engaging plates 42. The pin engaging fingers 44 of adjacent troughsare alternately spaced so that they can interfinger, as shown in Fig. 2,to pick up bowling pins which have been moved oiT-spot with respect totheir original spotted posi ion.

The pin engaging troughs G have been constructed and arranged, as shownin Fig. 1, to have a range which covers the entire width of a bowlingalley on which pins are s otted. The trough covering the area of thenumber 1 pin is alleywide. The area of the number 2 and 3 pins iscovered by two separate troughs, the combined length of which is alsoalleywide. The 4, 5 and 6 areas are covered by three separate troughs,the combined length of which is also alleywi e. The 7, 8, 9 and 10 pinareas are covered by four separate troughs, the combined length of whichis likewise alleywide. It will thus be seen that I have provide a pinrespotting device which has alleywide coverage. My invention is alsoreadily adaptable foruse with any other number of pins and I have usedten pins as a conventional way of illustrating my invention without anyintention of restricting it to any specific number of pins.

Pairs of scissor-like lever arms 46 and 48, also pivoted on shafts 36,are connected at one end to each pair of plates 42, described above, tobring the U-shaped apex of plates 42 into and out of pin grippingposition as shown in dotted and full lines in Fig. 4. It will be notedthat the U- shaped gripper extends along the entire length of plates 42and, therefore, can pick up a pin at any point along the entire lengthof the trough. The opposite end of each pair of arms 45 and 48 isconnected to solenoid armature plungers 50 and 52 by means of pins 55and 58 and the arms 46 and 48 support each double acting solenoid 54.

Rubber covered studs or pins 41 and 40, transversely mounted in each ofthe scissor-like lever arms 45 and 48, are sufficiently long so that,when the grippers are moved into gripping relationship, the pins 41 and49 will engage with the under side of frame 20 which acts to lock thehanger or support 32 against further travel on tracks 26. The rubbercovering on the studs 4'! and 49 allows for any slight variation thatmay exist in diameters of the bowling pin handles. A pair of springs 60and 62 is provided for each solenoid to push the plungers 50 and 52outwardly when the solenoid 54 is not energized.

Suitable openings 33 are formed in the lower frame 20 to permit thehangers 32, supporting shafts 36 of each of the inverted trough members42, to travel back and forth over each pin spotting area. Suitableopenings 5I (Fig. 5) are also formed in the lower frame 29 to permit theactuating arms 46 and, 40, for each of the inverted 4 trough-likemembers 42, to travel freely over each pin spotting area.

A pair of cables 64 and 6B is connected to each of the double actingsolenoids 54 to center each of the inverted trough-like members 42 overtheir respective pin spot areas on a bowling alley after each pingripping cycle.

Fixed tothe upper frame 22 are suitable bearing brackets 68 in whicharemounted four shafts 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The shaft, throughwhich rotary movement is imparted to the other shafts I3, has beendesignated as 10a. Pairs of reels 12' are mounted opposite each other onspaced shafts I0 and 70a. Shafts i0 and 10a. are located over oppositesides of the inverted pin engaging troughs 42.

A pair of cables 64 and 63 is connected at one end to the eye of a lug55 protruding from each of the solenoids 54 and, after passing throughsuitable openings 63 formed in the frame 22, is connected at the other.end to one of the pairs of reels 12 located on each side of the areaover which each of the inverted pin engaging troughs 42 travel. Securedto the under side of the frame 22 are pulley supporting brackets IS. Apulley 83 is freely mounted in each of these brackets 73 on studs 82which pass through the brackets 18 cables 64 and 65, in interconnectingthe solenoids.

54 with reels I2, pass around the pulleys 80.

Each shaft 10 and 10a has fixedly mounted on its end a. sprocket I4which is actuated by sprocket chains I5 (see Figs. 1 and 2). Actuatingmovement is imparted to the sprocket chains I6 by means of a spur gear84 which is fixedly mountedon the shaft 10a, shown in Fig. 2. Coactingwith the spur gear 84. is a gear segment 86, fixedly mounted on a shaft88 which, in turn, is rotatably mountedin suitable bearings formed inlug 90 (Fig. 2) Fixedly connected to the shaft 88 is a lever arm 32which has a slot 94 formed in its upper end. The lever arm 92 isactuated by piston rod 96 which is connected at one end to the lever arm92 by means of pin 98 and, at the other end, to the piston I00 whichreciprocates in cylinder I02. The cylinder 502 may be secured to theupper frame 22 by suitable brackets I03, one ofv which, has formedthereon the lug Qil'mentioned above.

Suitable fluid pressuremeans, such as air or oil,

is employed for operating the piston l00. Inlet and outlet ports I04 andI06 are provided for introducing. and releasing fluid from either sideof the piston I00.

The flow of fluid through inlet and outlet ports I04 and I06 iscontrolled by means of a slide valve designated generally by the letterV. The slide valve, supported in brackets I32, consists of a cylinderI49 and a .valve plunger I03 having bands IIO. A compression spring II 2causes an.

outward thrust to be applied against valve plunger I08, causing theroller II4 of the plunger to fluid which has already actuated the pistonI0 Ports I24 and I23 are connected to the ports iil i. and I06respectively by means of tubing I28 and- I30.

Cams H6 and I40 and sprocket I35 are fixedly mounted on shaft I 34 whichis rotated intermittently by sprocket chain I38.

When my in:

vention is used with an automatic bowling pin spotting machine, thesprocket chain I38 will be connected to the main drive of the machine tobe operated in timed relation therewith. My invention is also adapted tobe used by itself for respotting and, in such case, the sprocket chainwould be connected to a suitably controlled drive. Cam I40, throughroller I44, actuates the plunger I42 of a conventional control switchI48 which opens and closes an electrical circuit and thereby controlsthe energization of the double acting solenoid 54. The wires I48 areconnected to each of the solenoids 54 and cause the same to be energizedwhenever the switch I46 is closed by the high part of cam I40 engagingwith the plunger I42.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows:

After a bowling ball has been thrown and some of the pins knocked down,the pin respotting mechanism shown in this application will be startedinto operation by suitable control means which causes the frames 20 and22, carrying the inverted pin engaging troughs, to be lowered toward thebed of a bowling alley. At the beginning of the machine cycle, thesupporting frames 20 and 22 are in an elevated position above the alleyand the various inverted pin engaging troughs, consisting of plates 42and their respective projecting fingers 44, will have been centered overtheir respective pin spotting areas of the bowling alley by cables 64and 66.

When the pin spotting apparatus is started in operation, the frames 20and 22, through cables 21, will be lowered over the pin spotting area ofa bowling alley. The downward movement of the frames 20 and 22 bringsthe inverted trough elements, comprising plates 42 and fingers 44, intoengagement with the heads of standing bowling pins.

If a standing pin has been moved off its original spotted position, theengagement of the pin with the fingers 44 or plates 42 will cause theentire inverted trough member to travel on tracks 26 in a longitudinalrectilinear direction until the apex of the trough is centered withrespect to the top of the standing oifspot bowling pin. When one pintravels an unusual distancefrom its original spotted position, as shownin Fig. 2, the adjoining troughs 42, due to the interfingering ofalternately spaced. fingers 44, can move relatively close together, thuspermitting the apex of each inverted trough 42 to becentered over thetop of its respective pin. When the frames 20 and 22 have reached thelimit of their downward movement, the U-shaped pin gripping apices ofthe inverted troughs will be saddled over the standing pins to begripped.

The sprocket chain I38, which is also operated in timed relation withthe lowering of frames 20 and 22, will have rotated the shaft I34 bymeans of sprocket I36 so that when the frames 20 and 22 have reachedtheir lowermost position of travel, the high portion of the cam Hi willengage with the roller I44 to actuate the plunger I42 and close theswitch mechanism I46. As soon as the switch mechanism I46 is closed, allof the solenoids 54 will be energized by electrical current carriedthrough wires I48. Upon actuation of the solenoids, the scissor-likelever arms 46 and 48, connected to each solenoid, will close theirrespective inverted troughs to bring the U-shaped pin gripping apex ofeach trough into gripping engagement with their respective bowling pins.When the inverted troughs have been brought into pin gripping positionin the manner described, the rubber covered locking studs 41 and 48 willwedge themselves against the lower frame 20, thereby locking the troughagainst any further rectilinear movement along tracks 28, as shown indottedposition Fig. 4. When the pins have been gripped, the frames 20and 22, together with the troughs 42 gripping the standing pins, areelevated away from the bed of a bowling alley.

The fallen pins and the bowling ball are then swept or removed from thebowling alley by suitable means, not shown. If desired, reference may bemade to U. S. Patent No. 2 250,503, issued to R. E. Rundell on July 29,1941, which shows one type of mechanism that can be employed forremoving the fallen pins and bowling ball from the bowling alley.

After the alley has been cleared of the items mentioned, the frames 20and 22 are lowered and the gripped pins will be replaced on the alley inexactly the same position they occupied before being en aged by the pinengaging and gripping troughs 42.

When the frames 20 and 22 reach their lowermost point of travel, theroller I44 will be ready to leave the high part of the cam I40 and beginengagement with the low part of the cam, thus opening the switch I46which, in turn, will deenergize the solenoids 54. When the solenoids aredeenergized, the plungers 50 and 52 move outwardly under the pressure ofsprings 60 and 62 causing the scissor-like lever arms 46 and 48 to openthe inverted troughs and release the gripped bowling pins. As soon asthe inverted troughs have been opened in the manner just described, theframes 20 and 22 are elevated again and the pin engaging invertedtroughs move out of engagement with the bowling pins which have beenreplaced on the bowling alley in the exact position they occupied beforebeing gripped.

The contour of cam H6 is such that, when the frames 20 and 22 have beenraised to a level where they are above the standing replaced bowlingpins, the plunger I08 is actuated to cause fluid pressure to be appliedto the opposite end of piston I00. This application of pressure to thepiston I00 causes piston plunger 96 to move outwardly, thereby movingthe lever arm 92 to which the gear segment 86 is attached. This, inturn, causes the spur gear 84 to be rotated. The rotation ,of vspur gear84, in turn, through sprocket chains I6 and sprockets I4 causes all ofthe reels I2 to rotate in unison. The rotation of reels I2 causes thecables 64 and 66 of each solenoid assembly to be tightened and therebycauses the various inverted pin engaging troughs to be centered over thepositions where bowling pins are normally spotted on a bowling alley. Bythe arrangement described, it will be seen that I have provided meanswhich automatical ly centers all of the troughs from a-central controlafter each cycle.

After this centering operation, the high portion of the cam I I6 movesout of engagement with the roller II 4, thus allowing the valve plungerI08 to move outwardly under the pressure of spring H2 which reverses theflow of fluid to the opposite side of piston I 00. This reversal ofpressure on the piston I00 operates, in the manner heretofore described,through gear segment 86, spur gear 84, sprockets I4 and sprocket chainsI6 to reverse the rotary movement of the reels (2. The reversal of therotary movement of reels 12 causes the cables 84 and 68 to be unwoundand sufficient slack made available which enables the inverted pinengaging troughs to move freely back and forth on tracks 26 in the nextrespotting cycle when the pin engaging troughs are lowered intoengagement with the standing bowling pins.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within thescope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustratethe invention is but one of many possible embodiments'of the same. Theinvention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details ofthe structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for engaging, lifting and replacing pins on a bowlingalley in substantially the same position they occupied before beingengaged and lifted, a frame adapted to be moved toward and away from thebed of a bowling alley on which pins are spotted, inverted troughshapedmembers having pin engaging surfaces, means movably connecting saidmembers to said frame and confining said troughs for rectilinearmovement transverse to the major axis of said trough shaped members toallow said members to center themselves over standing pins by engagementwith standing bowling pins, and pin gripper devices formed on saidmembers and operative along the length of the inverted troughshapedmembers for gripping pins over which said devices have been centered bysaid members.

2. A machine for respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley insubstantially the same position they occupied before being engaged andlifted, said machine having, a member adapted to be moved toward andaway from the area of a bowling alley on which bowling pins are spotted,a plurality of elongated trough-shaped pin engaging members extendingtransversely over the alley, guide means for causing said trough shapedmembers to move lengthwise of the alley, pin grippers carried by saidpin engaging members, said pin engaging members having surfaces adaptedto effect a camming action when engaging with the head of a standing pinto center the pin grippers carried by the pin engaging members over thepins which remain standing on a bowling alley.

3. A device for respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley insubstantially the same position they occupied before being engaged andlifted, said device having, pairs of members, wherein each pair isconstructed and arranged to have an inverted trough-shaped openingextending across the alley; a guiding support for mounting each pair ofmembers for free rectilinear movement longitudinally of the alley, meansfor lowering said support and bringing each pair of members intoengagement with standing bowling pins to effect movement of saidyieldable members by a camming action with the top of the standingbowling pins to thereby center each pair of members with respect to thestanding bowling pins engaged, a pin gripping device operative along thelength of each pair of members for gripping the pins over which saidpairs of members have been centered, and means for actuating saidsupport to cause the gripped pins to be elevated from the bowling alleyand then replaced on the bowling alley.

4. A device for respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley insubstantially the same position they occupied before being engaged andlifted above the alley comprising, a plurality of long'itudinallymovable inverted troughs extending across the entire width of a bowlingalley over the positions on which bowling pins are spotted, saidinverted troughs having relatively movable parts constructed andarranged to engage and grip standing bowling pins, a frame forsupporting said troughs for movement toward and away from a bowlingalley, guide means on said frame to cause said troughs to moverectilinearly in a plane parallel to the bowling alley and transverse tothe axis of the troughs, and solenoid actuated means associated with therelatively movable parts of said inverted troughs for bringing saidtroughs into and out of pin gripping relationship.

5. In a machine for respotting bowlin pins on a bowling alley, a frame,elongated generally trough-shaped members supported by said frame, eachof said members including a gripping portion at the apex and extendingalong the length of the members and plate members diverging from saidgripping portion for relative guiding movement of the trough-shapedmembers with respect to standing bowlin pins.

6. In a machine having the elements provided for in claim 5 wherein saidplate members terminate in fingers.

7. In a machine having the elements provided for in claim 5 wherein theplate members and the gripping portion thereof are positioned to coverthe entire width of the bowling alley where bowling pins are positionedon the alley.

8. A machine for respotting bowlin pins on a bowling alley insubstantially the same position they occupied before being engaged andlifted above the alley comprising, a support adapted to be moved towardand away from a bowling alley, inverted trough-shaped members forengaging with bowling pins standing on said alley, means for associatingsaid trough-shaped members with said support for free movement thereonand confining said members to rectilinear movement in a directiontransverse to the axis of said members to allow said members to be movedby and their apices centered over bowling pins with which they engage,means associated with each of said inverted troughshaped members forgripping standing bowling pins, engaged along the length of saidtroughshaped members, means for locking said troughshaped membersagainst free movement on said support when in pin gripping position, anda device for raising and lowering said support to first lift and thenreplace on the bowling alley,

bowling pins gripped by said trough-shaped members.

9. A device for removing standing spot and off-spot pins from a bowlingalley and then re pins with which they engage then raising said,

inverted troughs and gripped pins above the alley and then lowering saidinverted troughs to replace the pins on the alley, and gripping meansoperative along the length of the apex of each inverted trough forgripping the bowling pin over which each trough has been centeredpreliminary to each pin raising operation and operable to releasegripped pins after they; been replaced on the alley.

10. A device for respoting standing bowling pins on a bowling alley insubstantially the same position they occupied before being engaged andlifted above the alley, said device having, inverted elongatedtrough-like members, a guide support for confining said trough likemembers free rectilinear movement in a direction trans verse to thelongitudinal axis of said members, said trough-dike members beingshiitable rectilinearly by engagement with the tops of standing: bowlingpins, pin grippers formed along the length of the apex of eachtrough-like member. and means for moving said trough-like members intoand out of engagement with standing bowling pins to center the grippersformed along the apex of each trough, over standing bowlin pins bysliding over the tops of standing bowling pins.

11. A device for removing, and replacing standing bowling pins on abowling alley in substantially the same position they occupied beforebeing engaged and lifted above the alley, said device having, a tableadapted to move toward and away from the bed of a bowling alley, aplurality of elongated pin grippers, guides for constraining said pingrippers for free rectilinear movement on said table in a plane parallelto the bowling alley, flat plates arranged in the form of an invertedtrough extending downwardly from each of said grippers for centeringsaid grippers over standing ofispot bowling pins to enable said grippersto grip standing off-spot pins, over which they are centered, means formoving said table toward and away from a bowling alley to cause saidgrippers to first lift and then replace said gripped pins on the bowlingalley in the same position they occupied before being gripped and liftedfrom the bowling alley, a recentering device located on said frame forcentering said pin grippers and flat plates over the spot positions on abowling alley on which pins are spotted, and means operative prior toeach pin removin and replacing cycle for energizing said recenteringdevice.

12. A device for removing and replacing standing bowling pins on abowling alley in substantially the same position they occupied beforebeing engaged and lifted, said device having, a member adapted to movetoward and away from the bed of a bowling alley, elongated membersarranged to form an inverted V in cross section along their width, aguide structure causing said V-shaped members on the under side of saidmember to freely move rectilinearly in a direction transverse to themajor axis of said elongated V-shaped members when engaging with astanding pin, pin holding means connected to and extending along thelength of said V-shaped members for removing and replacing standing pinson a bowling alley as said members are moved away and toward a bowlingalley, and mechanism for centering said inverted V-shaped members overthe positions on a bowling alley where bowling pins are spotted prior toeach bowling pin removing and replacing operation.

DAVID D. JACOBUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,613 Schmidt May 19, 1942

